My Tears and the Sky
by Yamadori
Summary: Blue Dragon Game. A collection of oneshots and drabbles about Kluke. Each chapter named after a line of Kluke's theme song, "My Tears and the Sky". Jiro/Kluke/Shu friendship, with some romantic hints
1. 1: These endless, falling tears

**If I'd only moved a little faster, I could've gotten two uploads in one day. XD Still, I'm surprised that I finished this so soon - I expected it to take much longer. Anyway... This is a collection of oneshots and drabbles dedicated to Kluke. The thing that makes it a little different is that the title of each oneshot or drabble is a line from the song "My Tears and the Sky" (Kluke's theme). Like mentioned in the summary, there's going to be some Jiro/Kluke/Shu friendship, and also some romantic hints (though mostly friendship). Also, there's a very good chance that some of the things in this collection will be referenced in my story _Blue Dragon Beyond_. It seems like the collection might be off to a slow start, but... That's for you guys to decide. ;) Besides, I've got a bunch of ideas for the upcoming lines; I'm really looking forward to writing them. :) But, for now, I'll let you get to the story. After the disclaimer and title, read on. :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Blue Dragon... But I do have copies of the English and Japanese versions of this song on my computer. :D**

_1. These endless... falling tears..._

She had barely managed to shut the door to her room before she broke down and sobbed.

She tried to stop, or at least get them to slow, but the tears were relentless. She could hear them noisily hitting the wooden floorboards.

_If only it had been me... If only it could've taken all three of us... If only I had spent more time with them... If only I could have one last chance to tell them that I love them..._

If only.

What would she do now? Where would she go from here? Her parents were gone... She felt so lost.

Well... She supposed, for a start, that she would have to take her parents' place as village doctor. There was no one else who had that amount of medical knowledge. The villagers were resting now, but they were still injured from the recent Land Shark attack, and they'd need someone to treat them. She needed to get herself together... Right. Because that would be _so_ easy.

She lifted her head, trying to calm down, but she caught sight of all of her belongings, reminding her of her mother and father, and it only made her cry harder.

"If... if I could just... see them one last time..."

Unbeknownst to her, there was someone sitting on the floor next to the door of her room, hearing everything and feeling his heart break in the process.

If anyone would understand her pain, it would be him. He knew what it was like to watch your parents die.

Anger and hatred for the Land Shark burned in his heart. Whispers of a plan blossomed in his mind.

Shu's hands tightened into fists. _I won't let anyone else suffer._ He glanced through the barely open door. _I promise you, Kluke, that I'll make that monster pay._

**... And the first one is done! :D I actually got a tiny bit stuck on the first half, but the second half was quite easy to write. :) I don't know how well it turned out... But, I enjoyed writing it... Except that now I feel really bad for Kluke. :( Oh, and by the way: Take care when cutting potatoes. It is not easy to type with a bandage on your finger. So, with that... If you can, please review and let me know what your thoughts are about this one. Like all of my chaptered stories, I'm aiming to update this one after 10 hits, but with all of the other stories that need updating, it's hard to say when exactly it will be updated. As always, though, I'll try to be quick about it. ;) See you soon! :D**


	2. 2: Fountains of sadness, seem to appear

**Hi, guys! :) Still kind of getting back into my rhythm, but… Anyway. This is one of three uploads that I mentioned in the notes of Kasumi Kusanagi's birthday present, **_**All in Good Time**_** (though there are three more potential uploads that I'm debating putting up). I'm not feeling well today, so I don't know when I'll get the others up… But this chapter is done, at least. :) So, here are the replies to last chapter's reviews:**

**Crescenta:** Err… Well, it's not even close to soon, but… Hopefully, I'm not horrifically late. XP Aw, thanks! :D Jiro x Kluke scene coming up; just read on! :D

**Inita:** Yep. :) It's been a while since I uploaded this... But when I did, it had been a while since I said I would, hadn't it? Ah, probably doesn't matter either way... Thanks; though always critical of my own work, I thought it was a pretty decent beginning too. :) Sorry about that... I knew that some readers were going to like it because it seemed to be edging towards Shu x Kluke, and others probably wouldn't like it for the same reason. However, it was intended to be left open – it's really up to the reader to decide whether it's romance or friendship. I thought that was appropriate, since I don't think even Shu himself is sure (though I'm of the opinion that he's still trying to figure out what romance exactly is, and that behavior pops up frequently in _Blue Dragon Beyond_). That's an excellent guess; and I'm not going to be mysterious this time, and just simply that yes, it is. (Yay! :D) Ooh, I should try to work that scene somewhere in here... I can't really find a line in the song that fits with it, though. XP Besides, though I love that scene dearly, I don't think there's much that I could do to expand on it (though I'm certainly not against trying XD). Copy that; will do! :D *light laugh* Oh, man, I had forgotten about that! Sorry; it's just that it ended up becoming one of those things that seems small in comparison to bigger things that happen later on, you know? Actually, it kind of cheered me up to think about it... Since I lost my internet in August, I haven't been having the easiest of times. In any case, thanks, Inita; it hurt like anything when it happened, but it healed up just fine. :)

**OceanLeviathan:** Thank you; that's one of the things I'd been aiming for (though I never expected to pull it off). :) I know; the information felt a tad lacking to me, and that's part of why I wrote the first chapter of this on that subject. (Also, it went with song line. *embarrassed look*) Thank you~! :D

**WindGoddess Rune:** I'll try; I'm really sorry that the updates have been so slow... I'll do my best! :) Thanks, Rune! :D

**SquirrelGirl8:** Thank you! :D I know; it's so sad... :( He is, and Jiro, too; even when things get hard, they'll help her get through it. :)

**Prince of Tennis' Shaman:** Oh... Don't worry; I'm fine. (Gah, I shouldn't have mentioned it... I didn't mean to worry you guys! D:) Aw... Thanks, An. :) I know; I do, too. :( Yes; that's exactly what I was hoping for! The things that Kluke was thinking and feeling right after her parents died were exactly what I wanted to highlight in that first oneshot/drabble(/thing); we know how she's felt a year a later, but not _right after_, and I wanted to try and capture that here... If I did – and also did that for Shu – maybe that means my writing is improving. :D Neither can I; he'll be here soon (actually, more like the "now" kind of soon). He actually would've been in there last time, but according to what I can figure, Shu hears Kluke's heart-wrenching crying multiple times and eventually tells Jiro about it, but Jiro himself never actually hears Kluke break down (still, there are about three events I can think of off the top of my head where this is brought up, and all of them seem to have slight contradictions with each other – but I suppose ironing out those kinds of chinks is one of the purposes of fan fiction). (_Aw, Jiro don't think of it as torturing... How could we torture you when we like you so much?_) (_Jiro: ... I should really say something about that, but I'm going to let it go since you gave me a break with what's coming up._) (_*gasp* Really?_) (_Jiro: ... Don't make me regret saying that._)

**-.-Rin'.Lullaby-.-:** Thank you! :D (Ah, wait! Not that honorific; I'm embarrassed now... Not again...) Er, well... It's not anything close to soon, but I did finally update it. *sweatdrops*

**And review replies are done! Wow; there was so many this time. :D Thank you so much, guys~! As for this next one... I like it quite a bit, though I think the first was better. But Jiro finally shows up. :D With that, read on!**

_2. Fountains of sadness... seem to appear..._

_There used to be more people at this well,_ Kluke thought as she lowered the bucket into the dark depths. _They'd come and get the water, laughing and chatting about the latest happenings in the village. Women and children and babies..._

There weren't now. She was the only one who came here now, save for Fana or Lailala, sometimes Shifa with her puppy Jon, and they usually came only in the early morning.

There wasn't anyone else to come. The Land Shark had made certain of that.

_Babies,_ with her free hand, Kluke bitterly wiped at her stinging eyes. _Even the babies._

But that detail, though it might matter to her and everyone else, didn't make a difference to the creature - it was a mindless monster, intent on destruction. It made no such distinctions between adults or adolescents - or even infants.

She heard a distant splash - the bucket must have hit bottom. She lowered it a bit more, just to be certain that it would fill with water.

Kluke peered into the well, but could see nothing. It was dark, seeming almost bottomless...

At times, just like her sorrow seemed.

After a few moments, she began pulling the rope up to raise it, but she did it in a detached sort of way. She wasn't paying attention, so when the bucket clattered against the side, she didn't give it any thought... until she heard a significant sounding splash.

Rapidly, she pulled it back up, but from how light it felt, Kluke already knew what had happened. It came as no surprise when she took it in her hands and looked inside to find it empty; in her carelessness, she had tipped it and spilled out all of the water.

She sighed, letting her forehead fall against the edge of the bucket. _How stupid... I'm such an idiot._ Turning, she leaned her back against the well and stared up at the sky. _I never seem to do anything right anymore. Even normal things like washing dishes or mending clothes or getting water at the well... All of it comes out wrong. I guess it's because... When I lost my parents, I lost a part of myself also... And now I don't even really feel like me._

A splash made her start; she looked to the side. "Jiro!" He was lowering the bucket into the well. "What are you doing here?"

He smiled at her sheepishly. "Sorry; I didn't mean to startle you. Shu and I were worried, though, because you never came back. I figured I'd better check on you, since he started pacing..." Jiro shook his head in mock annoyance. It was common knowledge that Shu paced in the central room of Jiro's house, and somehow, he always managed to do it in the exact same spot. Shu had also done it in the exact same spot of Jiro's old house, which the Land Shark had destroyed only a few years ago. "I'm telling you, we've only had the house for four years, and my living room floor will never be the same."

Kluke giggled, her spirits already lifting. "How terrible it must be for your floor."

"Yes, it is." Jiro laughed with her. When he had stopped, and had started pulling the bucket up, he gave her a gentle look. "You know, Kluke... You don't have to shoulder everything on your own. There are people that care about you, and they're more than willing to help you with your burdens." Shyly, he glanced down the well. "I know I'll always be there for you... Shu, too." He added the last part a little quickly, but still meaningfully.

Kluke blinked wet eyes quickly. But for a change, her unspilled tears weren't because of sadness. "... Thank you, Jiro."

"Come on, Kluke," with one hand holding the full bucket, he used the other to lightly take hold of her wrist. His hand felt warm and secure. "Let's head back."

"Mm." She nodded, smiling.

After Kluke brought the water inside her own house, the two of them headed to Jiro's house. The one and a half minute walk proceeded quietly, but the silence was comfortable, and perhaps even joyous.

When they arrived, like expected, Shu was pacing in the living room. "There you guys are!" As he walked toward them, Jiro's mother sighed, leaning over from her chair at the table to stare at the spot he'd been (likely checking the current state of her floorboards, and if said floorboards were even still intact). "Are you alright, Kluke? Did something happen?"

"I'm fine." Kluke rubbed her arm, a little embarrassed by his concern. "Take it easy, Shu." Like she always did when she was upset or nervous, she fell back on teasing. "If you keep that up, you'll end up worrying as much as Jiro does."

"And he worries even more than I do." Jiro's mother chuckled, bringing up a hand to cover her mouth.

"Yes, Mother, thank you ever so much for that." Arms folded, Jiro turned his eyes toward the ceiling. "All of you are against me."

"No, we're all _with_ you." Kluke threw an arm over his shoulder, and Shu, grinning, came up to Jiro's other side and did the same. Looking at the two boys, her expression softened. "We're always with you."

_Shu and Jiro... They really are amazing._ They're her friends. And whenever they're near, her heart never feels empty.

**And it's done! :D Took me long enough… Wonder how long it's been… *checks date* GAH! It's been over a year…! *hangs head* I'm so sorry. I worked so hard to prevent this from happening, but my stories are starting to become years late… *hangs head* Maybe I should start updating but the oldest update again… If it seems like it's getting too out of control, I may start doing that. Anyway… This one turned out well, I think. More trio friendship here (which I love). :D Hopefully the next will go well, too. :) So! If you can, please review and let me know what you think. I don't know when I'll update this next – or anything, for that matter – but I'll try not to take a **_**year**_** this time. XP That's everything, though. See you soon! :D**


	3. Forever feels, so long in my lonely mind

**(Due to time constraints, before- and after-notes, as well as review replies, must be added at a later time. Please see profile – news section – for more.)**

3. Forever feels... so long in my lonely mind...

She gripped the flower stems in a trembling hand. "Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad."

She was met with silence.

... Usually, headstones don't say things back. And that moment was no exception.

She laid the wildflowers down, taking a seat on a blanket she'd spread out over the sandy ground. She reached out, brushed her hand across the stone, her thumb smoothing over the date.

... Had it really been a year already?

It felt shorter. It felt longer.

"Hope you're both doing well. Things are fine down here. Or... as fine as they can be. Poruto thinks we'll have a good harvest this year, if the Land Shark doesn't tear up the fields again. Um, what else...? Oh! Things are going well at school, such as it is. It's still kind of weird for all five of us to be learning at the same level, but... We're all doing well. Well, the rest of us are, and Shu is trying. Shu's learning more smithing, though; he's getting to be good at it. I'm... proud of him. If you saw him working, I'm sure both of you would be, too.

"Jiro is doing well, I think. He's been really wonderful to me since you... since a year ago. Both him and Shu. They've been so kind to me... And when things get hard, they're always there to help me. I... I don't know what I'd do without them.

"I'm trying hard as the village's new doctor. I could never replace either of you, but I'm doing as much as I can to fill in that role. Sometimes it's difficult, and I'm always afraid that one day I'll mess up and someone will end up paying for my mistakes... But I guess that's what it means to take care of people, huh? They put their faith in you, and it's your responsibility to help them and be worthy of that trust.

"... I miss both of you. So much. I don't think I could ever put into words _just_ how much... But, if anyone would know how I feel, it would be the two of you. To be apart from you both hurts... It hurts more than I ever thought was possible. I would give anything to be with you again...

"Mom... After she passed away, you used to say all the time that Grandma was in heaven, and we'd see her again one day. I always took that to heart, but now it means everything to me - because if I'll see her again one day, then that has to be true for you and Dad, too. I have to believe that. It's the only thing that keeps me going sometimes, the thought that I'll see you two once more.

"So, I'll wait for that far-off day, when the three of us can be together again. Even if it feels like forever...

"It might be hard to wait sometimes... But I promise I'll do my best to be patient.

"Mom, Dad... I love you."


End file.
